Students of the Tai Solarin University of Education (Tasued), Ijagun, have on Sunday set ablaze not less than four houses including the palace of the Baale of Imaweje community, in protest of their dead colleague.
OgunWatch gathered that the protest was led after a 300-level Social Studies student, Bayo, was reportedly killed by indigenes of Imaweje, a neighboring community to Ijagun.
According to a source, it was a clash between the Baale and some alleged cultists who were sent out of the community.
“What we heard was that the cultist came back wanting to retaliate on the Baale for sending them out of the community. They tried stabbing one of the Baale’s chiefs but they couldn’t, like it was not entering so they decided to stab his son.
“Apparently, the son was in the hospital, receiving treatment until yesterday night before he died. In anger, the Baale instead of allowing law enforcement agency to handle the matter, called his boys and instructed them to kill anybody they knew who is a cultist, and that resulted in the indigene killing a 300-level SOS student by the name of Bayo.”
An Eyewitness also confirmed that after a Tasued student was killed, some students walked around the community with the corpse and in expressing their pain, set ablaze the Baale’s palace, a chief’s house, the town crier’s house, and others.
“The next thing I saw was that after they killed the Tasued students, some people, I don’t know if they are students or cultists, but they were guys. They started going around with the dead body, going to every hostel, breaking in, and doing many things. So in anger, they decided to burn down the Baale’s office, the chief’s house, the Baale’s house, and one house in front of my hostel was also burnt down some other houses too.
“I think what happened was because the Baale told his boys to go and kill anybody that they believe is a cultist, there was one time the boys came to our hostel and carried all the boys in the hostel claiming they were cultists. So the anger is that they killed a student because they thought and said he is a cultist.
Meanwhile, another source who pleaded anonymously claimed that “the dead 300 level Social Studies student happens to be a member of the Aiye cult group, hence the reason why the head of the community’s house was set ablaze later in the day”.
OgunWatch in an interview with the SUG president of the institution, Emmanuel Hammed Akinjetan gathered that the clash was between the community and some unknown people.
He noted that the school management was yet to provide the reason(s) for the pandemonium and “awaits the university PRO to send a memo on the cause of the clash.
However, the Registrar of the school, Dapo Oke in a statement issued on Sunday called for an emergency meeting of the Senate on Tuesday, 30th May 2023 to review the situation and take further necessary actions.
He added that the university will be closed for two weeks to prevent further breakdown of law and order as security agents have been called to take over the matter.
The notice released by the Tasued management reads in full: “SPECIAL NOTICE”
“The management received reports of a bloody clash between some unknown people suspected to be Cultists and the Imaweje community leading to the death of a 300-level student of the University and the burning down of the Palace of the Baale of Imaweje.”
“The Vice-Chancellor has in view of the present situation asked the Security agents to move in to arrest the situation, maintain law and order, and prevent further loss of life and property”
“The Management has also considered the need to close down the University immediately to forestall reprisal attacks and prevent further breakdown of law and order in the communities of Ijagun, Abapawa, Ijele, and Imaweje”
“The Management has therefore announced the closure of the University for two weeks”
“An emergency meeting of the Senate is being called for Tuesday, 30th May 2023 to review the situation and take further necessary actions”
“The Vice-Chancellor is therefore using this medium to inform members of the Senate of the situation and calling for your understanding of his action on behalf of the Senate.”
Dapo Oke
Registrar and Secretary to Council and Senate”
